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Commsec: US Close 21 Apr 172:09

US sharemarkets rallied on Thursday with the Nasdaq closing at a record high. Better-than-expected earnings results supported sentiment. American express rose 5.9% and was the biggest mover on the Dow Jones, after reporting a smaller-than-expected drop in quarterly profit. According to Thomson Reuters data, of the 82 companies in the S&amp;P 500 that have reported earnings 75% have beat expectations, above the 71% average of the last 4 quarters. The Dow Jones index rose by 174 points or 0.9%. The S&amp;P 500 index rose by 0.8% while the Nasdaq gained almost 54 points or 0.9%.